General Chat

Most of our accounts are joint, with my husband as the main holder on the credit cards. I do most of the shopping, apart from petrol in his car, keep track of our finances, pay the bills when they are due. I noticed today, when paying for shopping that my card is cracking (too much use over Christmas I suppose).

I have just rung the card provider to request a replacement, for the card which expires in two months anyway. I answered every security question the lady in some far off land posed and she assured me I could be issued a new card....... when the primary card holder contacts them to confirm it is ok.

I quite expected the final reply, but why go through all the security questions, when they knew they couldn't complete my request.

Feel better now for having a grumble ... and have to get the 'man of the house' to help his poor little wife this evening when he gets in from a hard day earning a crust.

Have a happy day.

Elisabeth

sickening innit! Flaming jobsworth

mmmm I know what you mean, Elisabeth... had a similar problem when hubby was away serving in the 1st Gulf War.... had some very dodgy telephone calls, and wanted to have something done about it... they said they couldn't, as they needed the account holder to deal with it... as the payment came out of my own account, I eventually got it all sorted by threatening to with-hold payments and also to go to the National Press!

A couple of years lter, I converted my own bank account to a joint account.... my initial is A, his is R..... guess whose name appeared first on the very next letter confirming changeover details???


I know it's silly, but it really does niggle rather a lot!

Love

Daff xxx

Ann it is so maddening, isn't it?

And whilst we are on the subject, it was only a couple of years ago that I was asked for my husband's signature on one of those buy now..interest free for 6 months furniture deals... but the account that was paying the dd was my own, the wages were my own, and the purchase was my own.... nothing to do with hubby at all!!


And there is more!!!

Grumpy old woman, that is what I am today, lol!!

Love

Daff xxx

Don't get me started on this one.........

Before we married I had a bank account in my maiden name.
After marrying I told them of name change and as we went abroad with huband's work and had a joint account, ...different bank...the 1st account was just left. We referred to it as our Rainy Day account but never touched it.

Move on a few years and we seemed to have settled in one place, I decided to do something about the 1st account but it was now dormant.
I got forms to sort this and they asked which bank account I wanted to use for any funds.
.....and what was my husband's annual income?

What did that have to do with it?

It was MY money and all I wanted to do was move it to a joint well-managed never-in-the-red account.
I didn't bother.

Gwyn

Daff
You and I should be used to mearly being ..Wife of'....

Gwyn

It is not a sexist thing Elisabeth. My wife and I have several accounts, phone, bank, building society, utilities, etc. Some are in her name, some in mine. I have to get her to OK any telephone transaction on the ones in her name and vice versa. It is security that is the issue, not sexism.

we have a jt credit card but I am the primary card holder, hubbys card broke so I rang for new one to some indian call centre they said hubby would have to ring and answer the security questions .
No matter how much I tried to explain that he wouldnt know the answers as they were MY security questions she didnt get it.

I gave up and rang a different number and spoke to someone in this country who was very appologetic and got him another card straight away.

They say be security aware but they wanted me o tell him all my security question dohhhhhhhhhh

Oh they are great aren't they!!

i love it when I get calls to my home asking for "Mr Mysurname" and when i say he doesn't live here, they don't want to talk to me!

Pink

they have started calling in evening when tiddler and laddo are playing up so am very tempted next time a certain gas company call to tell them i will go and look for him and give the phone to tiddler sure they will soon hang up with the stupid things she would ask them lol

Lol Gwyn, I was one for almost 34 years... I should have had a medal for that!!

Man from Kent... I agree, it is slowly being tightened up so that it is the account holder....whether male or female... who has to be the person who makes the alterations/requests. However, I would say that it most certainly WAS a sexist issue almost universally a short while ago... and there are still elements of this sexism lingering! When a bank account is altererd to from Mr XY Anyone to include his wife Mrs AB Anyone... the first person on the letter head stays as Mr XY with Mrs AB next.

Try changing Mrs AB's account to a joint one with hubby Mr XY... and lo!! MR still takes the lead! Petty, I know... but it is sexist.

My husband has NEVER been asked for details of my income when he has wanted to take out a loan in his name, from our joint account, other than for those things like mortgage, which is in Joint names.

However.... in 2004 I had huge problems when I wanted to purchase a new car, and needed a small loan to complete that purchase. The car was for me... my money, I earned an excellent wage, my own bank account.... but they wanted to know our joint income... it had no relevence. Strange though.... a couple of years before that, hubby had no probs at all.... and he only has the joint account!

Recently, a relative's male partner managed to change two of her utility providers by explaining that he pays for them, they are out of his account (it was hers, but she changed it to a joint acct when they moved in together) etc etc.... she is furious with him... and it shouldn't have been allowed. When my father in law died 7 years ago, my mother in law had to send copies of his death certificate to get the utility bills put into her name!

So I reiterate... it is getting loads better, but there is still a long way to go before women in this country have full equality.

Love

Daff xxx

Wow - thank you for your replies. (I have been going about my wifely duties - washing his socks, underpants etc.)

Man of Kent ... My argument was not a sexist problem - merely the fact that they went through all the security questions. By giving them my card number - which is different from my husband's, they knew I was not the primary cardholder. All I wanted was a replacement card, not an increase in limit or any thing to do with the account itself. If I wished, I could go out this afternoon and spend many thousands on the card, and had used the card in a couple of outlets this morning. Still I wasn't able to request a replacement card.

It just seems 'daft' to me.

Elisabeth

A few years ago OH on trip to states. His company had messed up the hotel booking so he had to pay on his credit card for 3 rooms. They swiped his card on the first night (which blocks the funds) then again when he left this time taking the amount but leaving the blocked amount on the account. When he got to the centre where the course was being held he had to pay for the 3 courses. He didnt have enough funds. So phoned me to get it sorted. I phoned the credit card co but they would not speak to me as only named on the account. I explained the situation but still no go. It was only when l insisted that an account manager be available to speak to him when he finished the course for the day at 9pm NewYork time - which was 1 in the morning here that they agreed to up his limit.

We have a password on our accounts to say that either of us can control the accounts. Although l have been known to say l am him when we get phone calls. Its funny the response from overseas call centres when you say your name is Robert.


Dawnie you can sign up for 'caller preference' Its free and it stops companies in this country from cold calling. If they do call you you take the details and they could get a fine. Contact BT and they will put you thru to the company. Takes about 3 months to stop fully. funn y how you want them to call after that jsut to catch them out. We also just say 'hang on i will just ftch him' then forget about it for a while
Also can get BT to stop you getting 'number withheld ' calls check it out

I already had a house when I met OH so he moved in with me, my name is 1st on most things as Its just easier.
My parents have a joint account with my dad named first, they won't speak to my mam so she puts my dad on, he tells them that he doesn't deal with the finances (he actually tells them that he puts the money in and she spends it!).
It's absolutely rediculous though. If it's a joint account it should be either person who can authorise transactions, replacement cards etc.
There was a time when my ex had let our joint account go overdrawn after we'd spilt up, the bank then froze my single account until it was sorted out. BUT they wouldn't allow me to close the account as it was a joint one..Mad eh? As the account was in my name first, I did have to pay the small amount, they waived charges and rethought their policy on closing the account, when I said I might change banks, so at least they saw reason.

My mum (who lives in Portugal) was due to receive a new cheque book from her (English ) bank. When it hadn't arrived, she didn't want to phone from Portugal - costs too much, so she asked my sister to phone and gave her all the relevant details etc.
All my sister/mum wanted to know was whether the cheque book had been sent - nothing else!!
Sister put on her most wavering voice and phoned. She went all throught the hoops of account number etc - then they asked for her password. Sister didn't know that , so she pointed out she only wanted to know whether or not the cheque book had been sent!!
They couldn't tell her - needed the password.
Sister put the phone down - then phoned as herself, (got a different person) and asked why they had asked her mother for a password when they had every other security bit - and she only wanted to know whether the book had been sent!!
This bloke said they hadn't asked mum for her password as they didn't need it. Sister says yes they had asked - she was stood right next to her mother.

Bloke then said 'Could I speak to your mother' LOL Sister just hoped he wouldn't see through her false wavering voice!!. But he told her there and then exactly when the cheque book had been sent!!! So why all the fuss the first time when they thought they were dealing with an elderly woman? Are they in cahoots with the telephone companies???

maggie

Maggie,

That has made me laugh - I often have trouble when sorting out things for Mum-in-law. I have often put on a very 'elderly voice', and when they ask if I am Mrs M..., I reply 'yes', which is true! She is in her 90s, but I'm not quite there yet. (I am always doing it at her request as she hates trying to sort out anything with utiilities etc. My husband does have Power of Attorney, but isn't always around at the appropriate time.)

Happy day to all. Off to use my cracked credit card again - in Waitrose this time.

Elisabeth

Actually mum was a bit miffed when sis told her about her 'elderly' voice - she has got a VERY strong voice LOL.

maggie

I agree Elisabeth, it is daft. As for the call centre in India - well ! Say no more.
I may be accused of sexism here but we all know how asians regard women don't we?.

ps. I do the cooking and the ironing in our house.

Further report on the contacting of the call centre......

The master of the house enjoyed his dinner, read the Telegraph, did the crossword and then got around to phoning the call centre.

It was a classic. He tried to inform them that the card is still usable but cracked and requested a replacement. For some unexplained reason - the person in the call centre asked him to accept his sincere condolences for his loss, and that he would cancel the card immediately. He seemed to think I had passed away! After a long conversation, he was told that I was very much alive, sitting here.

A new card and pin number is on its way, though if the current card will work in the meantime is anyone's guess. Thank goodness we have money in the current account to tide us over.